Ganymede (Goethe)
Ganymed ( Greek Γανυμήδης Ganymếdês , German 'der Glanzfrohe' ) is the title of a hymn by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , which was published in 1774. At Goethe's request, it was later always published together with Prometheus , another well-known hymn by the author.
Emergence
Ganymede , like Prometheus , was written between 1772 and 1774. Both works can be assigned to the epoch of Sturm und Drang . Strikers and pushers of this era turn against outdated traditions of literature and thus also against fixed poetic rules, whereby love and feeling come to the fore. In addition, nature is particularly emphasized and emphasized ("Nature symbolizes something divine and unpredictable."). The figure Ganymede comes from Greek mythology . Zeus was so impressed by the beauty of Ganymede that he assumed the shape of an eagle and kidnapped him to Olympus , where he served as cupbearer of the gods from then on.
Ganymede was considered the "most beautiful of all mortals" and was loved by Zeus for this alone.
shape
The hymn Ganymede is characteristic of the era of Sturm und Drang, which can be clearly seen in its form. There is no fixed meter or rhyme scheme in the poem . The poem has five stanzas, each with an unequal number of verses, the so-called free rhythms . The poem consists of 32 verses in total. There are numerous enjambements that give the impression of impulsiveness and emotionality. In Ganymede , Goethe uses the dithyrambic style without strictly adhering to requirements. In addition, pantheism is of central importance in Ganymede .
content
In Goethe's poem Ganymede , the focus is on the bond with nature and the striving towards God. This is where Ganymede as a lyric self has its say. In the first and second stanzas, the lyrical self is deeply moved by the beauty of nature. His "thousandfold love of love" (v. 4) for nature is explained with its "infinite beauty" (v. 8), about which the lyrical self raves ecstatically :
Oh,
I lie on your bosom , languishing,
And your flowers, your grass
press against my heart.
His longing grows from verse to verse and ultimately triggers a striving for God. This is also reflected in the form of the poem: the second and fourth stanzas are two-line, the stanzas 1, 3 and 5 each increase from 8 to 10 verses. The emotional connection of the lyrical self to nature and the longing for God are confirmed by exclamations like “I am coming! I come! ”(V. 20) increased further. After a brief disorientation of the lyrical self, which was raised by its questions “Where to? Oh, where? ”(V. 21) is accompanied, the lyrical ego rises, finally in the last stanza“ up ”(v. 22), whereby the direction becomes clear, because it rises above the clouds into the sky. The goal of the lyrical ego is ultimately the “bosom” of the “all-loving father” (cf. v. 30/31), where it is “comprehensively embraced” (v. 29). Here his emotion and longing culminate in a merging with God.
Comparison with other texts by Goethe
If you compare the two characters of the hymns Ganymede and Prometheus , you will notice some similarities and differences. Similarities between the two hymns are in the structure (irregular rhyming verses) and in the fact that both contain the name of the speaking person as a title, as is usual in such " role poems ". In addition, both figures reflect “I experiences” and the closeness to nature.
There are differences in the representation of the figures. While Ganymede is “the most beautiful of the boys” and is cupbearer and lover of Zeus, Prometheus is punished by Zeus for passing fire on to people. With Ganymede, people strive for union with God. In contrast, Prometheus sees himself as the creator, criticizes and condemns Zeus and defends himself against the authorities.
Ganymede's closeness to nature can also be found in Goethe's epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther . Both Werther and Ganymede feel a fascination for nature, which is conveyed more intensively with Ganymede. Goethe's deep connection to pantheism flows into this, which in Werther's first letter is recognizable through the ambitious and cheerful disposition and the abundance of nature and is made clear in Ganymede through the representation of the divine nature.
Another thing they have in common is Werther's second letter, in which he, like Ganymede, strives for the divine.
literature
- Steven Kiefer: Johann Wolfgang Goethe - "Prometheus" and "Ganymed": An interpretative comparison 2013 student thesis
